The usage of vehicle safety belts for increased passenger safety is widespread and is encouraged or required by various safety and regulatory bodies. The importance of using safety belts is especially great in the instance of small children, not only to reduce the risk of serious injury as a result of an accident, but also to prevent children from roaming about the vehicle, opening doors, and the like.
Vehicle safety belts typically include a belt portion which is adapted to extend around the body of the user, and a buckle portion having a buckle for engaging the end of the belt portion to secure the safety belt in position around the user. In most vehicle safety belts, the belt portion is automatically secured to the buckle portion by inserting the end of the belt portion into the buckle.
To release the safety belt, the buckle includes a releasing means which is adapted to be operated by the user. In many safety belts the releasing means comprises a button on the upper surface of the buckle which need only be depressed by one's finger to release the belt portion from the buckle portion to permit the safety belt to be opened.
Safety belt releasing means, such as button-type releasing means, are usually easy to operate, and even very small children are capable of operating them with little difficulty. This can be quite dangerous. Children are often seated in the back seat of a vehicle while the parents are in the front seat and the parents may be unaware that a child has opened his safety belt and is no longer restrained thereby.